The Rich Man and Lazarus Taken from: ‘A Few Sighs from Hell; or, The Groans of a Damned Soul’ By John Bunyan The Rich Man and Lazarus John Bunyan “And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom” Luke 16:23. Our Lord doth show in this verse, partly what doth and shall befall the reprobate, after this life is ended, where he saith, “And in hell he lift up his eyes.” That is, the ungodly, after they depart this life, do lift up their eyes in hell. From these words may be observed these things. First, that there is a Hell for souls to be tormented in, when this life is ended. Mark, after he was dead and buried, “In hell he lift up his eyes.” Second, that all that are ungodly, and do live and die in their sins, so soon as ever they die, they go into Hell. He died, and was buried, “And in hell he lift up his eyes.” Third, that some are fast asleep, and so secure in their sins, that they scarce know well where they are till they come into Hell, and that I gather from these words, “In hell he lift up his eyes.” He was asleep before, but hell makes him lift up his eyes. First, As I said before, it is evident there is an hell for souls (yea, and bodies too) to be tormented in after they depart this life, as is clear; first, because the Lord Jesus Christ, that cannot lie, did say, that after the sinner was dead and buried, “In hell he lift up his eyes.” Now, if it be objected, that by hell is here meant the grave, that I plainly deny: 1. Because there the body is not sensible of torment or ease; but in that hell into which the spirits of the damned depart, they are sensible of torment, and would very willingly be free from it, to enjoy ease, which they are sensible of the want of; as is clearly discovered in this parable, “Send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, to cool my tongue.” 2. It is not meant the grave, but; some other place; because the bodies, so long as they lie there, are not capable of lifting up their eyes to see the glorious condition of the children of God, as the souls of the damned do. “In hell he lift up his eyes.” 3. It cannot be the grave; for then it must follow, that the soul was buried there with the body, which cannot stand with such a dead state as is here mentioned; for he saith, “The rich 1 man died;” that is, his soul was separated from his body; “and in hell he lift up his eyes.” If it be again objected, That there is no hell but in this life, that I do also deny; as I said before, after he was dead and buried, “in hell he lift up his eyes.” And let me tell thee, O soul, whoever thou art, that if thou close not in savingly with the Lord Jesus Christ, and lay hold on what he hath done, and is doing in his own person for sinners, thou wilt find such a hell after this life is ended, that thou wilt not get out of again forever and ever. And thou that art wanton, and dost make but a mock at the servants of the Lord, when they tell thee of the torments of hell, thou wilt find, that when thou departest out of this life, that hell, even the hell which is after this life, will meet thee in thy journey thither, and will, with its hellish crew, give thee such a sad salutation, that thou wilt not forget it to all eternity; when that scripture comes to be fulfilled on thy soul in Isaiah 14:9, 10, “Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming: it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations.” All they, that is, that are in hell, shall say, “Art thou also become weak as we? art thou become like unto us?” Oh! sometimes when I have had but thoughts of going to hell, and consider the everlastingness of their ruin that fall in thither, it hath stirred me up rather to seek to the Lord Jesus Christ to deliver me from thence, than to slight it, and make a mock at it. “And in hell he lift up his eyes.” The second thing I told you was this, that all the ungodly that live and die in their sins, so soon as ever they depart this life, do descend into hell. This is also verified by the words in this parable, where Christ saith, “He died, and was buried; and in hell he lift up his eyes.” As the tree falls, so shall it lie, Ecclesiastes 11:3, whether it be to heaven or hell. And as Christ said to the thief on the cross, “This day shalt thou be with me in paradise;” even so the devil, in the like manner, may say unto the soul, “To-morrow shalt thou be with me in hell.” See then what a miserable case he that dies in an unregenerate state is in. He departs from a long sickness to a longer hell; from the gripings of death to the everlasting torments of hell. “And in hell he lift up his eyes.” Ah, friends! if you were but yourselves, you would have a care of your souls; if you did but 2 regard, you would see how mad they are that slight the salvation of their souls. O what will it profit thy soul to have pleasure in this life, and torment in hell! Mark 8:36. Thou hadst better part with all thy sins, and pleasures, and companions, or whatsoever thou delightest in, than to have soul and body cast into hell. Mark 9:43. O then do not neglect our Lord Jesus Christ, lest thou drop down to hell! Hebrews 2:3. Consider, would it not wound thee to thine heart, to come upon thy death-bed, and instead of having the comfort of a well-spent life, and the merits of the Lord Jesus Christ, together with the comfort of his glorious Spirit, to have, first, the sight of an ill-spent life, thy sins flying in thy face, thy conscience uttering itself with thunderclaps against thee, the thoughts of God terrifying thee, death, with his merciless paw, seizing upon thee, the devils standing ready to scramble for thy soul, and hell enlarging herself, and ready ‘to swallow thee up; and then an eternity of misery and torment attending upon thee, from which there will be no release. For, mark; death doth not come alone to an unconverted soul, but with such company as, wast thou but sensible of it, would make thee tremble. I pray consider that scripture: Revelation 6:8, “And I looked, and behold a pale horse; and his name that sat upon him was Death, and hell followed with him.” Mark, death doth not come alone to the ungodly; no, but hell goeth with him. O miserable comforters! O miserable society! Here come death and hell unto thee. Death goeth into thy body, and separates body and soul asunder; hell stands without (as I may say) to embrace, or rather, to crush thy soul between its everlasting grinders. Then thy mirth, thy joy, thy sinful delights, will be ended when it comes to pass. Lo, it will come. Blessed are those that through Jesus Christ’s mercies, by faith, do escape these soul-murdering companions. “And in hell he lift up his eyes.” The third thing, you know, that we did observe from these words, was this, that some are so fast asleep, and secure in their sins, that they scarce know where they are, until they come into hell. And that I told you, I gather by these words, “In hell he lift up his eyes:” mark, it was in hell that he lift up his eyes. Now, some do understand by these words, that he came to himself, or began to consider himself, or to think with himself, in what a state he was, and what he was deprived of; which is still a confirmation of the 3 thing laid down by me. There it is that they come to themselves, that is, there they are sensible where they are indeed. Thus it fares with some men, that they scarce know where they are, till they lift up their eyes in hell. It is with these people as with those that fall down in a swoon. You know if a man fall down in a swoon in one room, though you take him up and carry him into another, yet he is not sensible where he is, till he comes to himself, and lifts up his eyes. Truly, thus, as it is to be feared, it is with many poor souls, they are so senseless, so hard, so seared in their conscience (1 Timothy 4:2), that they are very ignorant of their state; and when death comes, it strikes them, as it were, into a swoon (especially if they die suddenly), and so they are hurried away, and scarce know where they are, till in hell they lift up their eyes. This is he who dieth in his full strength, fully at ease and quiet. Job 21:23. Of this sort are they spoken of in Psalm 73, where it saith, “There are no bands in their death; but their strength is firm. They are not troubled as other men; neither are they plagued like other men.” And again, “They spend their days in wealth, and in a moment,” mark, “in a moment,” before they are aware, “they go down into the grave.” (Job 21:13). Indeed, this is too much known by woeful and daily experience. Sometimes when we go to visit them that are sick in the towns and places where we live, O how senseless, how seared in their conscience are they! They are neither sensible of heaven nor of hell; of sin nor of a Saviour; speak to them of their condition and the state of their souls, and you shall find them as ignorant as if they had no souls to regard. Others, though they lie ready to die, yet they are busying themselves about their outward affairs, as though they should certainly live here, even to live and enjoy the same forever. Again, come to others, speak to them about the state of their souls; though they have no more experience of the new birth than a beast, yet will they speak as confidently of their eternal, state, and the welfare of their souls, as if they had the most excellent experience of any man or woman in the world saying, “I shall have peace” (Deuteronomy 29:19), when, as I said even now, the Lord knows they are as ignorant of the new birth, of the nature and operation of faith, of the witness of the Spirit, as if there were no new birth, no faith, no witness of the Spirit of Christ, in any of the saints in the world. Nay, thus many of them are, even an hour or 4 less before their departure. Ah, poor souls! though they may go away here like a lamb, as the world says, yet if you could but follow them a little, to stand and listen; soon after their departure, it is to be feared, you shall hear them roar like a lion, at their first entrance into hell, far worse than ever did Korah, and his company, when they went down quick into the ground. Numbers 16:31-35. Now, by this one thing doth the devil take great advantage on the hearts of the ignorant, suggesting to them, that because the party deceased departed so quietly, without all doubt they are gone, to rest and joy; when, alas! It is to be feared, the reason why they went away so quietly, was rather because they were senseless and hardened in their conscience; yea, dead before in sin and trespasses. For had they but some awakenings on their death-beds, as some have had, they would have made all the town ring of their doleful condition; but because, they are seared and ignorant, and so departed quietly, therefore the world takes heart at grass (as we use to say) and makes no great matter of living and dying they cannot tell how: “Therefore pride compasseth them as a chain” (Psalm 73:5, 6). But let them look to themselves; for if they have not an interest in the Lord Jesus now, while they live in the world, they will, whether they die raging or still, go unto the same place, and lift up their eyes in hell. O my friends, did you but know what a miserable condition they are in, that go out of this world without an interest in the Son of God, it would make you smite upon your thigh, and in the bitterness of your souls cry out, “Men and brethren, what shall we do to be saved?” Acts 2:37. And not only so, sinner, but thou wouldst not be comforted until thou didst find a rest for thy soul in the Lord Jesus Christ. “And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom” Luke 16:23. Something in brief I have observed from the first part of this verse, namely, from these words, “And in hell he lift up his eyes.” And indeed I have observed but some things; for they are very full of matter, and many things: might be taken notice of in them. There is one thing more that I might touch upon, as couched in this saying, and that is this. Methinks the Lord Jesus Christ doth hereby signify, 5 that men are naturally unwilling to see or to take notice of their sad state; I say by nature; but, though now they are willingly ignorant, yet in hell they shall lift up their eyes. That is, in hell they shall see and understand their miserable condition; and therefore to these words, “In hell he lift up his eyes,” he adds, “being in torments.” As if he had said, Though once they shut their eyes; though once they were willingly ignorant (2 Peter 3:5); yet when they depart into hell, they shall be so miserably handled and tormented, that they shall be forced to open their eyes. While men live in this world, and are in a natural state, they will have a good conceit of themselves, and of their condition; they will conclude that they are Christians, that Abraham is their father (Matthew 3:7, 8), and that their state is as good as the best; they will conclude they have faith, the Spirit; good hope, an interest in the Lord Jesus Christ: but when they drop into hell, and lift up their eyes there, and behold, first their souls to be in extreme torment; their dwelling to be the bottomless pit; their company thousands of damned souls, also the innumerable company of devils; and the hot scalding vengeance of God, not only to drop, but to fall very violently upon them; then they will be awakened, who all their lifetime were in a sleep. I say, when this comes to pass for lo, it will — then in hell they shall lift up their eyes; in the midst of torment they shall lift up their eyes. Again, you may observe in these words, “And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments,” that ungodly men will smart for their sins, in the torments of hell. Now, here I am put to stand, when I consider the torments of hell into which the damned do fall. O unspeakable torments! O endless torments! Now, that thy soul might be made to flee from those intolerable torments into which the damned do go, shall show you briefly what are the torments of hell. First, by the names of hell. Second, by the sad state thou wilt be in, if thou comest there. First, the names. It is called a never-dying worm (Mark 9); it is called an oven-fire, hot (Malachi 4:1); it is called a furnace, a fiery furnace, (Matthew 13); it is called the bottomless pit, the unquenchable fire, fire and brimstone, hellfire, a stream of fire, the lake of fire, devouring fire, everlasting fire, eternal fire. Revelation 20; Matthew 3; Mark 9. Second, by the sad state thou wilt be in, if thou comest there. 6 1. One part of thy torments will be this: Thou shalt have at full sight of all thy ill spent life from first to last. Though here thou canst sin to-day, and forget it by tomorrow; yet there thou shalt be made to remember how thou didst sin against God at such a time, and in such a place, for such a thing, and with such a one, which will be a hell unto thee. Psalm 50:21. God will “set them (thy sins) in order before thine eyes.” 2. Thou shalt have the guilt of them all lie heavy on thy soul, not only the guilt of one or two, but the guilt of them all together, and there they shall lie in thy soul, as if thy belly were full of pitch, and set on a light fire. Here men can sometimes think on their sins with delight, but there with unspeakable torment; for that I understand to be the fire that Christ speaketh of, which shall never be quenched. Mark 9:43-47. While men live here, O how doth the guilt of one sin sometimes crush the soul! It makes a man in such a plight, that he is weary of his life; so that he can neither rest at home nor abroad, neither up nor in bed; nay, I do not know, but they have been so tormented with the guilt of one sinful thought, that they have been even at their wits’ end, and have hanged themselves. But now when thou comest into hell, and hast not only one, or two, or an hundred sins, with the guilt of them all on thy soul and body; but all the sins that ever thou didst commit since thou camest into the world, all together clapped on thy conscience at one time, as one should clap a red hot iron to thy breast, and there to continue to all eternity; this is miserable. 3. Again, then thou shalt have brought into thy remembrance, the slighting of the gospel of Christ. Here thou shalt consider how willing Christ was to come into the world to save sinners, and for what a trifle thou didst reject him. This is plainly held forth in Isaiah 28, where, speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ, the foundation of salvation (Isaiah 28:16), he saith of them that reject the gospel, that when the overflowing scourge doth pass through the earth (which I understand to be at the end of the world), then saith he, It shall take you: morning by morning, by day and by night, shall it pass over you; that is, continually without any intermission; — and it shall be a vexation only to understand the report. A vexation, that is, a torment, or a great part of hell, only to understand the report, to understand the good tidings that came into the world, by Christ’s 7 death, for poor sinners. And you will find this verily, to be the mind of the Spirit, if you compare it with Isaiah 53:1, where he speaks of men’s turning their backs upon the tenders of God’s grace in the gospel, to saith, “Who hath believed our report?” or, the gospel declared by us. Now this will be a mighty torment to the ungodly, when they shall understand the goodness of God was so great, that he even sent His Son out of his bosom to die for sinners, and yet that they should be so foolish, as to put him off from one time to another; that they should be so foolish, as to lose heaven and Christ, and eternal life in glory, for the society of a company of drunkards; that they should lose their souls for a little sport, for this world, for a strumpet, for that which is lighter than vanity and nothing; I say, this will be a very great torment unto thee. 4. Another part of thy torment will be this: Thou shalt see thy friends, thy acquaintance, thy neighbours; nay, it may be thy father, thy mother, thy wife, thy husband, thy children, thy brother, thy sister, with others, in the kingdom of heaven, and thyself thrust out. Luke 13:28. There shall be weeping, etc, when you shall see Abraham (your father), and Isaac, and Jacob (together with your brethren), the prophets, in the kingdom of heaven, and you yourselves thrust out. Nay, saith he, “They shall come from the east, and from the west;” that is, those that thou didst never see in all thy life before, and they shall sit down with thy friends, and thy neighbour’s, thy wife, and children, in the kingdom of heaven, and thou, for thy sins and disobedience, shalt be shut out, nay, thrust out. O wonderful torment! 5. Again, thou shalt have none but a company of damned souls, with an innumerable company of devils, to keep company with thee. While thou art in this world, the very thoughts of the devil’s appearing to thee makes thy flesh to tremble, and thine hair ready to stand upright on thy head. But O! what wilt thou do, when not only the supposition of the devil’s appearing, but the real society of all the devils of hell will be with thee, howling and yelling, screeching and routing in such a hideous manner, that thou wilt be even at thy wits’ end, and be ready to run stark mad again for anguish and torment 6. Again, that thou mightst be tormented to purpose, the mighty 8 God of heaven will lay as great wrath and vengeance upon thee as ever he can, by the might of his glorious power. As I said before, thou shalt have his wrath, not by drops; but by whole showers shall it come, thunder, thunder, upon thy body and soul, so fast and so thick, that thou shalt be tormented out of measure. And so saith the scripture, 2 Thessalonians 1:9, speaking of the wicked, “Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power” when the saints shall be admiring his goodness and glory. Again, this thou shalt have, as I said before, without any intermission; thou shalt not have any ease so long as while a man may turn himself round; thou shalt have it always, every hour, day and night; for their worm never dies, but always gnaws, and their fire is never quenched, as it is written in Mark 9. 7. Again, in this condition thou must be forever, and that is as sad as all the rest. For if a man were to have all his sins laid to his charge, and communion with the devils, and as much wrath as the great God of heaven can inflict upon him, — I say, if it were but for a time, even ten thousand years, and so end, there would be ground of comfort, and hopes of deliverance: but here is thy misery; this is thy state forever; here thou must be forever. When thou lookest about thee, and seest what an innumerable company of howling devils thou art amongst, thou shalt think this again, this is my portion forever. When thou hast been in hell so many thousand years as there are stars in the firmament, or drops in the sea, or sands on the sea-shore, yet thou hast to lie there forever. O this one word, “ever,” how will it torment thy soul! Friends, I have only given a very short touch of the torments of hell. O! I am set, I am set, and am not able to utter what my mind conceives of the torments of hell. Yet let me say to thee, accept of God’s mercy through our Lord Jesus Christ, lest thou feel that with thy conscience which I cannot express with my tongue, and say, “I am sorely tormented in this flame.” “And seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom:” When the damned are in this pitiful state, surrounded with fears, with terrors, with torment and vengeance, one thing they shall have, which is this, they shall see the happy and blessed state of God’s children: “He seeth Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom;” 9 which, as I said before, is the happy state of the saints when this life is ended. This now shall be so far from being an ease unto them, that it shall most wonderfully aggravate or heighten their torment, as I said before. There shall be weeping, or cause of lamentation, when they shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven, and themselves thrust out. 1. Observe, Those that die in their sins are far from going to heaven. And indeed, it is just with God to deal with them that die in their sins, according to what they have done, and to make them who are far from righteousness now, to stand far from heaven to all eternity. Hearken to this, ye stout-hearted, that are far from righteousness, and that are resolved to go on in your sins, — when you die you will be far from heaven; you will see Lazarus, but it will be afar off. Again, “He seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.” These are some of the things the damned do behold, as soon as they come into torment. Mark, he seeth Lazarus in Abraham’s bosom. Lazarus, who was he? Why, even he that was so slighted, so disregarded, so undervalued, by this ungodly one while he was in the world: he seeth Lazarus in his bosom. From whence observe, That those who live and die the enemies of the saints of God, let them be ever so great and stout, let them bear ever so much sway while they are in the world, let them brag and boast ever so much while they are here, they shall in spite of their teeth, see the saints, yea, the poor saints, even the Lazaruses, or the ragged ones that belong to Jesus, to be in a better condition than themselves. O who do you think was in the best condition? who do you think saw himself in the best condition? — he that was in hell, or he that was in heaven? — he that was in darkness, or he that was in light? he that was in everlasting joy, or he that was in everlasting torments? The one with God, Christ, saints, angels; the other in tormenting flames, under the curse of God’s eternal hatred, with the devil and his angels, together within innumerable company of howling, roaring, cursing, ever-burning reprobates? Certainly this observation will be easily proved to be true here in this world, by him that looks upon it with an understanding heart, and will clear itself to be true in the world to come, by such as shall go either to heaven or to hell. 10 2. Another observation from these words, “And seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom,” is this: they that are the persecutors of the saints of the Lord now in this world, shall see the Lord’s persecuted ones to be they that are so highly esteemed by the Lord, as to be in Abraham’s bosom (in everlasting glory); though the enemies to the children of God did so lightly esteem them, that they scorned to let them gather up the dog’s meat that fell under their table. This is also verified, and held forth plainly by this parable. And therefore be not grieved, O you that are tempted, persecuted, afflicted, sighing, praying saints of the Lord, though your adversaries look upon you now with a disdainful, surly, rugged, proud, and haughty countenance, yet the time shall come when they shall spy you in Abraham’s bosom! I might enlarge upon these things, but shall leave them to the Spirit of the Lord, which can better by ten thousand degrees enlarge them on thy heart and conscience, than I can upon a piece of paper. Therefore, leaving these to the blessing of the Lord, I shall come to the next verse, and shall be brief in speaking to that also, and so pass to the rest. “And he cried, and said father Abraham, have mercy upon me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger, in water, and cool my tongue; for, I am tormented in this flame” Luke 16:24. You know I told you, that verse twenty two is a discovery of the departure of the godly and the ungodly out of this life, where he saith “the beggar died,” and “the rich man also died.” The twenty third verse is a, discovery of the proper places, both of the godly and ungodly after death; one being in Abraham’s bosom, or in glory; the other in hell. Now verse twenty fourth is a discovery of part of the too late repentance of the ungodly, when they are dropped down into hell. “And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me.” From the words, “And he cried,” we may observe, First, What a change the ungodly will have when they come into hell. “He cried.” It is likely he was laughing, jesting, jeering, drinking, mocking, swearing, cursing, prating, persecuting the godly in his prosperity, among his filthy companions. But now the case is 11 otherwise; now he is in another frame, now his proud? stout, currish carriage is come down. “And he cried.” The laughter of the ungodly will not last always, but will be sure to end in a cry. “The triumphing of the wicked is short.” (Job 20:5). Consider, you must have a change, either here, or in hell. If you be not new creatures, regenerate persons, new-born babes in this world, before you go hence, your note will be changed, your conditions will be changed; for if you come into hell, you must cry. O, did but the singing drunkards, when they are making merry on the alehouse bench, think on this, it would make them change their note, and cry, What shall I do? Whither shall I go when I die? But as I said before, the devil, as he labours to get poor souls to follow their sins, so he labours also to keep the thoughts of eternal damnation out of their minds. And indeed these two things are so nearly linked together, that the devil cannot well get the soul to go on in sin with delight, unless he can keep the thoughts of that terrible after-clap out of their minds. But let them know, that it shall not always be thus with them; for if when they depart, they drop down into eternal destruction, they shall have such a sense of their sins, and the punishment due to the same, that it shall make them to cry. “And he cried.” O what an alteration will there be among the ungodly when they go out of this world. It may be, a fortnight, or a month, before their departure, they were light, stout, surly; drinking themselves drunk, slighting God’s people, mocking at goodness, and delighting in sin, following the world, seeking after riches, faring deliciously, keeping company with the bravest; but now they are dropped down into hell, they cry. A little while ago they were painting their faces, feeding their lusts, following their whores, robbing their neighbours, telling lies, following plays and sports to pass away the time; but now they are in hell, they do cry. It may be last year they heard some good sermons, were invited to receive heaven, were told their sins should be pardoned if they closed in with Jesus; but refusing his proffers and slighting the grace that was once tendered, they are now in hell, and do cry. Before, they had so much time, they thought that they could not tell how to spend it, unless it were in hunting, and whoring, in dancing, and playing, and spending whole hours, yea, days, nay, 12 weeks, in the lusts of the flesh: but when they depart into another place, and begin to lift up their eyes in hell, and consider their miserable and irrecoverable condition, they will cry. O what a condition wilt thou fall into, when thou dost depart this world! If thou depart unconverted, and not born again, thou hadst better have been smothered the first hour thou wast born; thou hadst better have been plucked one limb from another; thou hadst better have been made a dog, a toad, a serpent, nay, any other creature in the visible world, than to die unconverted; and this thou wilt find to be true, when in hell thou dost lift thine eyes, and dost cry. Here then, before we go any further, you may see that it is not without good ground that these words are spoken by our Lord, that when any of the ungodly do depart into hell, they will cry. Cry: why so? 1. They will cry to think that they should be cut off from the land of the living, never more to have any footing therein. 2. They will cry to think that the gospel of Christ should be so often proffered to them, and yet they are not profited by it. 3. They will cry to think that now, though they would never so willingly repent and be saved, yet they are past all recovery. 4. They will cry to think that they should be so foolish as to follow their pleasures, when others were following Christ. Luke 13:28. 5. They will cry to think that they must be separated from God, Christ, and the kingdom of heaven, and that forever. 6. To think that their crying will now do them no good. 7. To think that at the day of judgment they must stand at the left hand of Christ, among an innumerable company of damned ones. 8. They will cry to think, that Lazarus, whom once they slighted, must be of them that must sit down with Christ to judge, or together with Christ, to pass a sentence of condemnation on their souls forever. 1 Corinthians 6:2, 3. 9. They will cry to think, that when the judgment is over, and others are taken into the everlasting kingdom of glory, then they must depart back again into that dungeon of darkness from whence they came out (to appear before the terrible tribunal), where they shall be tormented so long as eternity lasts, without the least intermission or ease. How sayest thou, O thou wanton, proud, swearing, lying, ungodly wretch! whether this be to be slighted and made a mock at? And again, tell me, now if it be not better to leave sin and to close in with Christ Jesus, notwithstanding that reproach thou shalt meet 13 with for so doing, than to live a little while in this world in pleasures, and feeding thy lusts, in neglecting the welfare of thy soul, and refusing to be justified by Jesus; and in a moment to drop down to hell, and to cry? O consider; I say, consider betimes, and put not off the tenders of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, lest you lift up your eyes in hell, and cry for anguish of spirit. “And he cried, and said, Father Abraham, have mercy upon me, and send Lazarus,” etc. Second, these words do not only hold forth the lamentable condition of the damned, and their lamentable howling and crying out under their anguish of spirit, but also they do signify to us (as I said before) their too late repentance; and also that they would very willingly, if they might, be set at liberty from that everlasting misery, that by their sins they have plunged themselves into. I say, these words do hold a desire that the damned have, to be delivered from those torments that they now are in: “O father Abraham,” saith he, “have mercy upon me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue, for I am tormented in this flame.” These words “Father Abraham” may have some difficulty in them. It is possible that some may think them to be meant of Abraham; and those, or him that crieth out here, to be the Jews. Or it may be some understand it to be God or Jesus Christ His Son, which I rather suppose it may be, that is here cried unto; because you find the same cry to Him as it was uttered by the ungodly in other places of Scripture: “Then shall ye begin to say, we have eaten and drunk in Thy presence, and Thou hast taught in our streets” (Luke 13:26), nay more, “...in Thy name have cast out devils? and in Thy name done many wonderful works?” (Matt. 7:22). This was just at their rejection. And again, they cry again to Him, even to Jesus, “Lord, Lord, open unto us” (Luke 13:25). And He there again gives them a repulse as also in this parable. However, or whosoever Abraham is, yet these truths may be observed from the words: 1. That the damned, when in an irrecoverable state, will seek for, or desire deliverance from the wrath that they are, and shall be in, for eternity. 2. That they will pray (if I may so call it) earnestly for deliverance from their miserable state. These two things are clear from the words. For mark, he not only said, “Father Abraham have mercy upon me;” but 14 he cried, and said, “Father Abraham, have mercy on me.” 3. From whence take a third observation, and that is, there is a time coming, wherein though men shall both cry and pray, they are likely to have no mercy at the hand of God for so was this man served, as I shall further show by and by, when I come to it. Some people are so deluded by the devil, as to think, that God is so merciful, as to own and regard anything for prayer. They think anything will go for current and good satisfaction, while they are here in this world; through ignorance of the true nature of the mercy of God, and the knowledge in what way God is satisfied for sinners. Now, I say, through ignorance they think, that if they do but mutter over some form of prayers, though they know not what they say, nor what they request, yet God is satisfied, yea, very well satisfied with their doings; when alas! There is nothing less. O friends, I beseech you to look about you, and seek in good earnest for the Spirit of Christ, so to help you now to strive and pray, and to enable you to lay hold on Christ, that your souls may be saved; lest the time come, that though you cry and pray, and wish also that you had laid hold on the Lord Jesus, yet you must and shall be damned. Then again, you may see that though God be willing to save sinners at some time, yet this time doth not always last. No; he that can find in his heart to turn his back upon Jesus Christ now, shall have the back turned upon him hereafter, when he may cry and pray for mercy, and yet go without it. God will have a time to meet with them that now do not seek after him: they shall have a time, yea time enough hereafter to repent their folly, and to befool themselves, for turning their backs upon the Lord Jesus Christ. “I will laugh at their calamities,” saith he, “and mock when their fear cometh.” Proverbs 1:26. Again, this should admonish us to take time while it is proffered, lest we repent us of our unbelief and rebellion when we are deprived of it. Ah friends! time is precious, an hour’s time to hear a sermon is precious. I have sometimes thought thus with myself: Set the case, that the Lord should send two or three of his servants, the ministers of the gospel, to hell among the damned, with this commission, Go ye to hell, and preach my grace to those that are there; let your sermon be an hour long, and hold forth the merits of my Son’s birth, righteousness, death, resurrection, ascension and 15 intercession, with all my love in him; and proffer it to them, telling them, that now once, do I proffer the means of reconciliation to them. They who are now roaring, being past hope, would then leap at the least proffer of mercy. Oh! they that could spend whole days, weeks, nay years, in rejecting the Son of God, would now be glad of one tender of that mercy. “Father,” saith he, “have mercy on me.” Again, from these words you may observe, that mercy would be welcome, when souls are under judgment. Now this soul is in the fire, now he is under the wrath of God, now he is in hell, there to be tormented, now he is with the devils and damned spirits, now he feels the vengeance of God, Now! oh now have mercy upon me!’ Here you may see, that mercy is prized by them that are in hell! They would be glad if they could have it. “Father, have mercy on me; for my poor soul’s sake, send me a little mercy.” “And send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue.” Third, these words do not only hold forth that the ungodly have a desire of mercy, but what those mercies are; what these poor creatures would be glad of. As, 1. To have the company of a Lazarus granted to them: “Father, Abraham, have mercy upon me, and send Lazarus.” Now Lazarus was he that was beloved of God, and also he that was hated of them. Therefore, 2. Observe, That those saints that in their lifetime the sinner could not endure, now they are departed, he would be glad to have society with them: ‘O now send Lazarus! Though the time was when I cared not for him; yet now let me have some society with him.’ Though the world disregard the society of God’s children now, yet there is a time coming, in which they would be glad to have the least company with them. Nay, do but observe, those of the saints that are now most rejected by them, even from them shall they be glad of comfort, if it might be. ‘Send Lazarus; he that I slighted more than my dogs, he that I could not endure should come into my house, but must lie at my gate, send him: now Lazarus shall be welcome to me; now I desire some comfort from him.’ But he shall go without it. From whence again, observe, That there is a time coming, O ye surly, dogged persecutors of the saints, that they shall slight you, as much as ever you slighted them. You have given them many a hard 16 word, told many a lie of them, given them many a blow: and now in your greatest need and extremity they shall not pity you, the righteous shall rather rejoice when he seeth the vengeance of God upon thee. Psalm 58:10. “And send Lazarus.” From whence observe, That any of the saints shall then be owned by you to be saints. Now you look upon them to be of a sect, with Hymeneus and Philetus; but then you shall see them to be the Lazaruses of God, even God’s dear children. Though now the saints of the Lord will not be owned by you, because they are beggarly, low, poor, contemptible among you; yet the day is coming that you shall own them, desire their company, and wish for the least courtesy from them. “Send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.” Thus shall the souls that abide in their sins, cry out in the bitterness of their spirits, with wonderful anguish and torment of conscience, without intermission — “That he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue!” That he, namely, the man who before, I scorned should eat with the dogs of my flock — that before I slighted and had no regard of that I shut out of door — send him, “that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue.” Now these words, “That he may dip the tip of his finger in water,...” do hold forth the least friendship or favour; as if he should have said, Now I would be glad of the least mercy, now I would be glad of the least comfort, though it be but one drop of cold water on the tip of his finger.’ One would have thought that this had been a small request, a small courtesy. One drop of water, what is that? Take a pail full of it, if that will do thee any good. But mark, he is not permitted to have so much as one drop, not so much as a man may hold on the tip of his finger. This signifies, that they that fall short of Christ, shall be tormented even as long as eternity lasteth, and shall not have so much as the least ease; no, not so long as while a man may turn himself round; not so much as leave to swallow his spittle; not one drop of cold water! O that these things did take place in your hearts! How would it make you to seek after rest for your souls, before it be too late, before the sun of the gospel be set upon you! Consider, I say, the 17 misery of the ungodly that they shall be in, and avoid their vices, by closing in with the tenders of mercy; lest you partake of the same portion with them, and cry out in the bitterness of your souls, ‘One drop of cold water to cool my tongue.’ “For I am tormented in this flame.” Indeed, the reason why the poor world do not so earnestly desire mercy, is partly because they do not seriously consider the torment that they must certainly fall into if they die out of Christ. For, let me tell you, did but poor souls indeed consider that wrath, that doth by right fall to their shares because of their sins against God, they would make more haste to God through Christ for mercy than they do. Then we should have them say, ‘It is good closing with Christ to -day, before we fall into such distress.’ But why is it said, let him “dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue?” Because, that as the several members in the body have their share in sin, and committing of that, so the several members of the body shall at last be punished for the same. Therefore, when Christ is admonishing his disciples, that they should not turn aside from him, and they should rather fear and dread the power of their God, than another power, he saith, “Fear him therefore, that can cast both body and soul into hell.” Luke 12:5. And again, “Fear him that can destroy both body and soul in hell.” Here is not one member only, but all the body, the whole body, of which the hands, feet, eyes, ears, and tongue, are members. And I am persuaded that though this may be judged carnal by some now; yet it will appear to be a truth then, to the greater misery of those who shall be forced to undergo that which God in his just judgment shall inflict upon them. O then they will cry, One dram of ease for my cursing, swearing, lying, jeering tongue! Some ease for my bragging, braving, flattering, threatening, dissembling tongue? Now men can let their tongues run at random, as we use to say; now they will be apt to cry, Our tongues are our own, who shall control them? Psalm 12:4. But then they will be in another mind. Then, O that I might have a little ease for my deceitful tongue? Methinks sometimes to consider how some men do let their tongues run at random, it makes me marvel. Surely they do not think they shall be made to give an account for their offending with their tongue. Did they but think they shall be made to give an account to him who is 18 ready “to judge the quick and the dead,” surely they would be more wary, and have more regard unto their tongue. The tongue, saith James, “is an unruly evil full of deadly poison. It setteth on fire the whole frame of nature; and is set on fire of hell.” (James 2). The tongue; how much mischief will it stir up in a very little time? How many blows and wounds doth it cause? How many times doth it (as James saith) curse man? How oft is the tongue made the conveyer of that hellish poison that is in the heart, both to the dishonour of God, the hurt of its neighbours, and the utter ruin of its own soul? And do you think the Lord will sit still (as I may say), and let thy tongue run as it lists, and yet never bring you to an account for the same? No, stay; the Lord will not always keep silence, but will reprove thee, and set thy sins in order before thine eyes, O sinner: yea, and thy tongue, together with the rest of thy members, shall be tormented for sinning. And I say, I am very confident, that though this be made light of now, yet the time is coming, when many poor souls will rue the day that ever they did speak with a tongue. ‘O, will one say, that I should so disregard my tongue! O that I, when I said so and so, had before bitten off my tongue! that I had been born without a tongue! My tongue! my tongue! a little water to cool my tongue, for I am tormented in this flame! even in that flame which my tongue, together with the rest of my members, by sinning, have brought me into.’ Poor souls will now let their tongues say anything for a little profit, for two pence or three pence gain. But oh! what a grief will this be at that day, when they, together with their tongue, must smart for that which they by their tongues have done while they were in this world. Then you that love your souls, look to your tongues; lest you bind yourselves down so fast to hell with the sins of your tongues, that you will never be able to get loose again to all eternity. For by thy words thou shalt be condemned, if thou have not a Care of thy tongue. “But I say unto you, that for every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.” Matthew 12:36. “But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented” Luke 16:25. These words are the answer to the request of the damned. The verse before (as I told you) is a discovery of the desires they have 19 after they depart this world. Here is the answer, “Son, remember…” The answer signifies thus much, That instead of having any relief or ease, they are hereby the more tormented, and that by fresh recollections, or by bringing afresh their former ill-spent life, while in the world, into their remembrance: Son, remember that thou hadst good things in thy lifetime. As much as if he had said, Thou art now sensible what it is to lose thy soul; thou art now sensible what it is to put off repentance; thou art now sensible that thou hast befooled thyself, in that thou didst spend that time in seeking after outward, momentary, earthly things, which thou shouldst have spent in seeking to make Jesus Christ sure to thy soul; and now, through thy anguish of spirit in the pains of hell, thou wouldst enjoy that which in former time thou didst make slight of; but alas! thou art here beguiled and altogether disappointed; thy crying will now avail thee nothing at all. This is not the accepted time. 2 Corinthians 6:2. This is not a time to answer the desires of wretched reprobates. If thou hadst cried out in good earnest while grace was offered, much might have been; but then thou wast careless, and didst turn the forbearance and goodness of God into wantonness. Wast thou not told, that those who would not hear the Lord when he did call, should not be heard when they did call; but contrariwise, he would laugh at their calamity, and mock when their fear did come. Proverbs 1:24-28. Now, therefore, instead of expecting the least drop of mercy and favour, call into thy mind how thou didst spend those days which God did permit thee to live; I say, remember, that in thy lifetime thou didst behave thyself rebelliously against the Lord, in that thou wert careless of his word and ordinances, yea, and of the welfare of thine own soul also. Therefore, now I say, instead of expecting or hoping for any relief, thou must be forced to call to remembrance thy filthy ways, and feed upon them, to thine everlasting astonishment and confusion. From these words, therefore, which say, “Remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things,” there are these things to be taken notice of. First, they that by putting off repentance, and living in their sins, lose their souls, shall, instead of having the least measure of comfort when they come into hell, have their ill-spent life always very fresh 20 in their remembrance. While they live here, they can sin and forget it; but when they depart, they shall have it before them; they shall have a remembrance, or their memory notably enlightened, and a clearer, and a continual sight of all their wicked practices that they wrought and did while they were in the world. “Son, remember,” saith he. Then you will be made to remember: 1. How thou wert born in sin, and brought up in the same. 2. Remember how thou hadst many a time the gospel preached to thee for taking away of the same, by him whom the gospel doth hold forth. 3. Remember, that out of love to thy sins and lusts, thou didst turn thy back on the tenders of the same gospel of good tidings and peace. 4. Remember that the reason why thou didst lose thy soul, was because thou didst not close in with free grace, and the tenders of a loving and freehearted Jesus Christ. 5. Remember how near thou wast to turning at such and such a time; only thou wast willing to give way to thy lusts when they wrought, to drunkards when they called, to pleasures when they proffered themselves, to the cares and encumbrances of the world, which, like so many thorns, did choke that or those convictions that were set on thy heart. 6. Remember how willing thou wast to satisfy thyself with an hypocrite’s hope, and with a notion of the things of God, without the real power and life of the same. 7. Remember how thou, when thou wast admonished to turn, didst put off turning and repenting till another time. 8. Remember how thou didst dissemble at such a time, lie at such a time, cheat thy neighbour at such a time, mock, flout, scoff, taunt, hate, persecute the people of God at such a time, in such a place, among such company. 9. Remember, that while others were met together in the fear of the Lord to seek him, thou wast met with a company of vain companions to sin against him; while the saints were praying, thou wast cursing; while they were speaking good of the name of God, thou wast speaking evil of the saints of God. O then, thou shalt have a scalding hot remembrance of all thy sinful thoughts, words, and actions, from the very first to the last of them that ever thou didst commit, in all thy lifetime. Then thou wilt find that scripture to be a truth, Deuteronomy 28:65-67, “The Lord shall give thee there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and sorrow of mind: and thy life shall hang in doubt before thee, and thou shalt fear day and night, and shall have none assurance of thy life: in the 21 morning thou shalt say, Would God it were even! and at even thou shalt say, Would God it were morning! for the fear of thine heart wherewith thou shalt fear, and for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see.” Nay, thou shalt find worse things to thy woe than this scripture doth manifest. For indeed there is no tongue able to express the horror, terror, torment, and eternal misery, that those poor souls shall undergo, without the least mitigation or ease. A very great part of it shall come from that quick, full, and continual remembrance of their sins that they shall have; and therefore there is much weight in these words, “Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime hadst thy good things.” From these words you see this is to be observed, that the ungodly shall remember, or have in remembrance the misspending of their lives: “Remember that in thy lifetime thou hadst thy good things.” You may take these words, “good things,” either simply for the things of this world, which in themselves are called and may be called “good things;” or else with these words, namely, the things of this life; all the pleasures, delights, profits, and vanities, which the ignorant people of the world do count their good things, and do very much cheer themselves therewith. “Soul, eat, drink, and be merry; for thou hast much goods laid up for many years.” (Luke 12:19). Now, I say, God, according to his glorious power and wisdom, will make poor creatures have always in their minds a fresh and clear remembrance of their ill-spent life. He will say unto them, Remember, remember, that in thy lifetime it was thus and thus with thee, and in thy lifetime thy carriage was so and so. If sinners might have their choice, they would not have their sins and transgressions so much in the remembrance, as is evident by their carriages here in this world: for they will not endure to entertain a serious thought of their filthy life; they put far away the evil day (Amos 4:3; Ezekiel 12:27), and labour by all means to put the thoughts of it out of their mind; but there they shall be made to remember to purpose, and to think continually of their ungodly deeds. And therefore it is said, that when our Lord Jesus Christ comes to judgment, it will be to convince the ungodly world of their wicked and ungodly deeds; mark, to convince them. Jude 14, 15. They will not willingly take notice of them now; but then they shall, hereafter, in spite of their teeth. For those that die out of Christ, 22 shall be made to see, acknowledge, and confess their guilt, do what they can, when they lift up their eyes in hell, and remember their transgressions. God will be a swift witness against them (Malachi 3:5); and will say, Remember what thou didst in thy lifetime; how thou didst live in thy lifetime. Ha, friend! If thou dost not in these days of light remember the days of darkness, Ecclesiastes 11:8, (the days of death, hell, and judgment), thou shalt be made in the days of darkness, death, hell, and at the judgment too, to remember the days of the gospel, and how thou didst disregard them too, to thy own destruction and everlasting misery. This is intimated in the twenty fifth chapter of St. Matthew. “Remember that in thy lifetime thou receivedst thy good things.” The great God, instead of giving the ungodly any ease, will even aggravate their torments. First, by slighting their perplexities, and by telling them what they must be thinking of. Remember, saith he, O ye lost souls, that you had your joy in your lifetime; your peace in your lifetime; your comforts, delights, ease, health, wealth — your heaven, your happiness, and your portion in your lifetime. O miserable state! Thou wilt then be in a sad condition indeed, when thou shalt see that thou hast had thy good things, thy best things, thy pleasant things; for that is clearly signified by these words, “Remember that thou in thy lifetime hadst thy good things,” or, all the good things that thou art likely to have. Second, from whence take notice of another truth (though it be a dreadful one), which is this: There are many poor creatures who have all their good, sweet, and comfortable things, in this life, or while they are alive in this world: “Remember,” saith he, “that in thy lifetime thou hadst thy good things.” The wicked’s good things will shortly have an end; they will last no longer with them than this life, or their lifetime. Psalm 17:14. That scripture was not written in vain: “As the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of a fool: this also is vanity” (Ecclesiastes 7:6). It is like the crackling of thorns under a pot — makes a little blaze for a sudden, a little heat for a while; but come and consider it by and by, and instead of a comfortable heat, you will find nothing but a few dead ashes; and instead of a flaming fire, nothing but a smell of smoke. There is a time coming, that the ungodly would be glad of a better 23 portion, when they shall see the vanity of this, that is, when they shall see what a poor thing it is, for a man to have his portion in this world. It is true, while they are here on this side of hell, they think there is nothing to be compared with riches, honours, and pleasures in this world; which makes them cry out, “Who will shew us any good?” (Psalm 4:6) that is comparable to the pleasures, profits, and glory of this world? But then they will see there is another thing that is better and of more value than ten thousand worlds. And seriously, friends, will it not grieve you, trouble, perplex, and torment you, when you shall see that you lost heaven for a little pleasure and profit in your lifetime? Certainly it will grieve you and perplex you exceedingly, to see what a blessed heaven you lost for a dunghill world. O! that you did but believe this! that you did but consider this, and say within yourselves, What! shall I be contented with my portion in this world! What! shall I lose heaven for this world! I say, consider it while you have day-light, and gospel lights’ while the Son of God doth hold out terms of reconciliation to you; lest you be made to hear such a voice as this is, “Son, remember, that in thy lifetime thou receivedst thy good things;” thy comforts, thy joys, thy ease, thy peace, and all the heaven thou art like to have. O poor heaven! O short pleasures! What a pitiful thing it is to be left in such a case! Soul, consider: Is it not miserable to lose heaven, for twenty, thirty, or forty years’ sinning against God? When thy life is done, thy heaven is also done. When death comes to separate thy soul and body, in that day also thou must have thy heaven and happiness separated from thee, and thou from that. Consider these things betimes, lest thou have thy portion in thy lifetime. For if in this life only we have our portion, we are of all people the most miserable. 1 Corinthians 15:19. Again, consider, that when other men (the saints) are to receive their good things, then thou hast had thine! When others are to enter into joy, then thou art to leave and depart from thy joy! When others are to go to God, thou must go to the devil! O miserable man! Thou hadst better to have never been born, than to be an heir of such a portion; therefore, I say, have a care it be not thy condition. “Remember that thou receivedst thy good things, and Lazarus evil things.” These words do not only hold forth the misery of the wicked in 24 this life, but also great consolation to the saints; where he saith, “And Lazarus evil things,” that is, Lazarus had his evil things in his lifetime, or when he was in the world. From whence observe, 1. That the life of the saints, so long as they are in this world, is attended with many evils or afflictions: which may be discovered to be of divers natures; as saith the scriptures, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivereth him out of them all” (Psalm 34:19). 2. Take notice, that the afflictions or evils that accompany the saints, may continue with them their lifetime, so long as they live in this vale of tears; yea, and they may be diverse, that is, of several sorts; some outward, some inward, and that as long as they shall continue here below, as hath been the experience of all saints in all ages. And this might be proved at large; but I only hint at these things, though I might enlarge much upon them. 3. The evils that do accompany the saints will continue no longer with them than their lifetime. And here indeed lies the comfort of believers, the Lazaruses, the saints; they must have all their bitter cup wrung out to them in their lifetime; here must be all their trouble; here must be all their grief. Behold, saith Christ, the world shall rejoice, but ye shall lament; but your mourning — mark it, shall be turned into joy. John 16:20. You shall lament, you shall be sorrowful, you shall weep in your lifetime; but your sorrow shall be turned into joy; and your joy no man (let him be what he will), no man shall take away from you. Now if you think, when I say the saints have all their evil things in their lifetime, that I mean, they have nothing else but trouble in this their lifetime, this is your mistake; for let me tell you, that though the saints have all their evil things in their lifetime, yet even in their lifetime they have also joy unspeakable and full of glory, while they look not at the things that are seen, but at the things which are not seen. The joy that the saints have sometimes in their heart, by a believing consideration of the good things to come when this life is ended, doth fill them fuller of joy, than all the crosses, troubles, temptations, and evils, that accompany them in this life, can fill them with grief. 2 Corinthians 4. But some saints may say, ‘My troubles are such as are ready to overcome me.’ 25 Answer. Yet be of good comfort, they shall last no longer than thy lifetime. ‘But my trouble is, I am perplexed with an heart full of corruption and sin, so that I am much hindered in walking with God.’ Answer. It is likely so; but thou shalt have these troubles no longer than thy lifetime. ‘But I have a cross husband, and that is a great grief to me,’ Well, but thou shalt be troubled with him no longer than thy lifetime; and therefore be not dismayed, be not discomforted; thou shalt have no trouble longer than this lifetime. Art thou troubled with cross children, cross relations, cross neighbours? They shall trouble thee no longer than this lifetime. Art thou troubled with a cunning devil? with unbelief? Yea, let it be what it will (if thou be a believer), thou shalt take thy farewell of them all after thy lifetime is ended. O excellent assurance! Then “God shall wipe away all tears from your eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying, nor any more pain; for the former things are passed away.” But now, on the contrary, if thou be not a right and sound believer, then, though thou shouldst live a thousand years in this world, and meet with sore afflictions every day; yet these afflictions, be they ever so great and grievous, are nothing to that torment that will come upon thee, both in soul and body, after this life is ended. I say, be what thou wilt, if thou be found in unbelief, or under the first covenant, thou art sure to smart for it at the time when thou dost depart this world. But the thing to be lamented is, for all this is so sad a condition to be fallen into, yet poor souls are for the most part senseless of it; yea, so senseless (at some times) as though there was no such misery to come hereafter. Because the Lord doth not immediately strike with his sword, but doth bear long with his creatures, waiting that he might be gracious: therefore, I say, the hearts of the sons of men, are wholly set in them to do evil. Ecclesiastes 8:11. And that forbearance and goodness of God, that one would think should lead them to repentance, are abused to their ruin; the devil hardening them, by their continuing in sin, and by blinding their eyes, as to the end of God’s forbearance towards them. Thus they are led away with a very hardened and senseless heart, even until they drop into eternal destruction. But, poor hearts, they must have a time in which they must be 26 made sensible of their former behaviours, when the just judgments of the Lord shall flame about their ears; insomuch that they shall be made to cry out again with anguish, I am sorely tormented in this flame.’ “But now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.” As if he should say, Now hath God recompensed both Lazarus and you, according to what you sought after, while you were in the world. As for your part, you did neglect the precious mercy and goodness of God; you did turn your back on the Son of God, that came into the world to save sinners; you made a mock of preaching the gospel; you were admonished over and over, to close in with the loving- kindness of the Lord, in his Son Jesus Christ. The Lord let you live twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, sixty years; all which time, you, instead of spending it to make your calling and election sure (2 Peter 1:10) did spend it in making eternal damnation sure to your soul. And also Lazarus, in his lifetime did make it his business to accept of my grace and salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ. When thou wast in the alehouse, he frequented the word preached; when thou wert jeering at goodness, he was sighing for the sins of the times; while thou wert swearing, he was praying. In a word, while thou wert making sure of eternal ruin, he by faith in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, was making sure of eternal salvation. Therefore, “now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.” Here then you may see, that as the righteous shall not be always void of comfort and blessedness; so neither shall the ungodly go always without their punishment. As sure as God is in heaven, it will be thus: they must have their several portions. And therefore you that are the saints of the Lord, follow on; be not dismayed, “forasmuch as ye know, that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 15:58). Your portion is eternal glory. And you that are so loath now to close in with Jesus Christ, and to leave your sins to follow him, your day is coming (Psalm 37:13), in which you shall know, that your sweet morsels of sin that you so easily take down (Job 20:12-14), and it scarce troubles you, will have a time so to work within you to your eternal ruin, that you will be in a worse condition than if you had ten thousand devils tormenting you. Nay, you had better have been plucked limb from limb a thousand times (if it could be), than to be partakers of this torment, which will 27 assuredly, without mercy, lie upon you. “And besides all this between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you, cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence” Luke 16:26. These words are still part of the answer that the souls in hell shall have for all the sobbings, sighings, grievous cries, tears, and desires that they have, to be released out of those intolerable pains they feel and are perplexed with. And, oh! methinks the words at the first view, if rightly considered, are enough to make any hard-hearted sinner in the world, to fall down dead. The verse I last spoke about was, and is, a very terrible one, and aggravates the torments of poor sinners wonderfully, where he saith, “Remember that thou in thy lifetime hadst thy good things, and Lazarus his evil things,” etc. I say, the words are very terrible to those poor souls that die out of Christ. But these latter words do much more hold out their sorrow. They were spoken as to the present condition of the sinner. These do not only back the former, but do yet further aggravate their misery, holding forth that which will be more intolerable. The former verse is enough to smite any sinner into a swoon, but this to make them fall down dead, where he saith, “And besides all this,” there is something to aggravate thy misery yet far more abundantly. I shall briefly speak to the words as they have relation to the terror spoken of in the verses before. As if he had said, Thou thinkest the present state unsupportable; it makes thee sob and sigh; it makes thee to rue the time that ever thou wert born; now thou findest the want of mercy; now thou wouldst leap at the least dram of it; now thou feelest what it is to slight the tenders of the grace of God, now it makes thee to sob, sigh, and roar exceedingly, for the anguish that thou art in. “But besides all this,” I have other things to tell thee of, that will break thine heart indeed. Thou art now deprived of a being in the world; thou art deprived of hearing the gospel; the devil hath been too hard for thee, and hath made thee miss of heaven; thou art now in hell among an innumerable company of devils and all thy sins beset thee round; thou art all overwrapped in flames, and canst not have one drop of water to give thee any ease; thou criest in vain, for nothing will be granted; thou seest the saints in heaven, which is 28 no small trouble to thy lost soul; thou seest that neither God nor Christ takes any care to ease thee, or speak any comfort unto thee. “But besides all this,” there thou art like to lie. Never think of any ease, never look for any comfort; repentance now will do thee no good; the time is past, and can never be called again. Look! what thou hast now, thou must have forever. It is true, I spoke enough before to break thine heart asunder; “but besides all this,” there lie and swim in flames forever. These words, “besides all this,” are terrible words indeed. I will give you the scope of them in a similitude. Set the case, you should take a man and tie him to a stake, and with red hot pincers, pinch off his flesh by little pieces, for two or three years together; and at last, when the poor man cries for ease and help, the tormentors answer, Nay, “but besides all this,” you must be handled much worse. We will serve you thus these twenty years together, and after that we will fill your mangled body full of scalding lead, or run you through with a red hot spit; would not this be lamentable? Yet this is but a flea-biting to the sorrow of those that go to hell; for if a man were served so, there would, ere it were long, be an end of him. But he that goes to hell shall suffer ten thousand times worse torments than these, and yet shall never be quite dead under them. There they shall be ever whining, pining, weeping, mourning; ever tormented without ease, and yet never dissolved into nothing. If the biggest devil in hell might pull thee all to pieces, and rend thee as small as dust, and dissolve thee into nothing, thou wouldst count this a mercy. But here thou mayst lie and fry, scorch, and broil, and burn forever. For ever, that is a long while, and yet it must be so long. “Depart from me,” saith Christ, “into everlasting fire,” into the fire that burns forever, “prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41). Oh! thou that wast loath to foul thy foot if it were but dirty, or did but rain; thou that wast loath to come out of the chimney corner, if the wind did but blow a little cold; and wast loath to go half a mile, yea, half a furlong, to hear the word of God, if it were but a little dark; thou that wast loath to leave a few vain companions, to edify thy soul, thou shalt have fire enough, thou shalt have night enough, and evil company far more than enough, if thou miss of Jesus Christ; “and besides all this,” thou shalt have them forever, and forever. 29 O thou that dost spend whole nights in carding and dicing, in rioting and wantonness; thou that countest it a brave thing to swear as fast as the bravest, to spend with the greatest spendthrift in the country; thou that lovest to sin in a corner when nobody sees thee! O thou that for by-ends dost carry on the hypocrite’s profession, because thou wouldst be counted somebody among the children of God, but art an enemy to the things of Christ in thine heart; thou that dost satisfy thyself, either with sins, or a bare profession of godliness, thy soul will fall into extreme torments and anguish, so soon as ever thou dost depart this world, and there thou shalt be weeping and gnashing thy teeth. Matthew 8:11, 12. And besides all this, thou art like never to have any ease or remedy. Never look for any deliverance. Thou shalt die in thy sins, and be tormented as many years as there are stars in the firmament, or sands on the sea- shore; and besides all this thou must abide it forever. “And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us that would come from thence.” “There is a great gulf fixed.” You will say, What is that? It is a nice question; therefore, 1. Seek thou rather to enter in at the strait gate, than curiously to inquire what this gulf is. But, 2. If thou wouldst needs know, if thou do fall short of heaven, thou wilt find it this, namely, the everlasting decree of God; that is, there is a decree gone forth from God, that those who fall short of heaven in this world, God is resolved they shall never enjoy it in the world to come. And thou wilt find this gulf so deep, that thou shalt never be able to wade through it as long as eternity lasts. As Christ saith, “Agree with thine adversary quickly, whilst thou art in the way with him; lest he hale thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison: I tell thee thou shalt in no wise come out thence:” there is the gulf, the decree, “Thou shalt not depart thence till thou hast paid the” uttermost farthing, or “very last mite.” Luke 12:58, 59. These words, therefore, “there is a great gulf fixed,” I understand to be the everlasting decree of God. God hath decreed, that those who go to heaven, shall never go from thence again into a worse place; and also that those that go to hell, and would come out, shall not come out from thence again. And, 30 friend, this is such a gulf, so fixed by him that cannot lie, that thou wilt find it so, which way soever thou goest, whether it be to heaven or hell. Here therefore thou seest how secure God will make those who die in the faith: God will keep them in heaven; but those that die in their sins, God will throw them into hell, and keep them there; so that they that would go from heaven to hell cannot, neither can they come from hell that would go to heaven. Mark, he doth not say, they would not: for O how fain would those who have lost their souls for a lust, for two pence, for a jug of ale, for a strumpet, for this world, come out of that hot scalding fiery furnace of God’s eternal vengeance, if they might. But here is their misery. ‘They that would come from you to us,’ that is, ‘from hell to heaven,’ cannot; they must not, they shall not. They cannot. God hath decreed it, and is resolved the contrary. Here therefore lies the misery; not so much that they are in hell, but that there they must lie forever and ever. Therefore, if thy heart would at any time tempt thee to sin against God, cry out, No; for then I must go to hell, and lie there forever. If the drunkards, swearers, liars, and hypocrites, did but take this doctrine soundly down, it would make them tremble when they think of sinning. Ah, poor souls, now they will make a mock of sin (Proverbs 14:9), and play with it as a child doth play with a rattle; but the time is coming, that these rattles that they now play with, will make such a noise in their ears and consciences, that they shall find that if all the devils in hell were yelling at their heels, the noise would not be comparable to it. Friend, thy sins, as so many bloodhounds, will first hunt thee out, and then take thee and bind thee, and hold thee down for ever. Numbers 32:23; Proverbs 5:22. They will gripe thee and gnaw thee as if thou hadst a nest of poisonous serpents in thy bowels. Job 20:14. And this will not be for a time! but, as I have said, forever, — forever, — forever! “For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment” Luke 16:28. These words are, if I may so say, a reason given by those in hell, why they are restless and do cry so loud: it is that their companions might be delivered from those intolerable torments, which they must and shall undergo, if they fall short of everlasting life by Jesus 31 Christ. “Send him to my father’s house, for I have five brethren.” Though while they lived among them in the world, they were not so sensible of their ruin; yet now they are passed out of the world, and do partake of that which before they were warned of, they can, I say, there cry out, Now I find that to be true indeed, which was once and again told, and declared to me, that it would certainly come to pass. “For I have five brethren.” Here you may see that there may be, and are, whole households in a damnable state and condition, as our Lord Jesus doth by this signify. ‘Send him to my father’s house, for they are all in one state; I left all my brethren in a pitiful state.’ People while they live here, cannot endure to hear that they should be all in a miserable condition; but when they are under the wrath of God, they see it, they know it, and are very sure of it: for they themselves, when they were in the world, lived as the others do, but they fell short of heaven; and therefore if the others go on, so shall they. ‘Oh! therefore send quickly to my father’s house, for all the house is in an undone condition, and must be damned if they continue so.’ The thing observable is this, namely, That those that are in hell, do not desire that their companions should come thither. Nay rather, saith he, ‘Send him to my father’s house, and let him testify to them that are therein, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ Question. But some may say, What is the reason that the damned should desire not to have their companions come into the same condition that they are fallen into, but rather that they might be kept from it, and escape that dreadful state? Answer. I do believe there is scarce so much love in any of the damned in hell, as really to desire the salvation of any. But in that there is any desire in them that are damned, that their friends and relations should not come into that place of torment, it appears to me, to be rather for their own ease, than for their neighbour’s good; for let me tell you, this I do believe, that it will aggravate the grief and horror of them, to see their ungodly neighbours in the like destruction with them. For where the ungodly do live and die, and descend into the pit together, the one is rather a vexation to the other, than anything else. And it must needs be so, because there are 32 no ungodly people that do live ungodly together, but they do learn ill examples one of another, as thus: If there live one in the town that is very expert and cunning for the world, why now, the rest that are of the same mind with him, they will labour to imitate and follow his steps: this is commonly seen. Again, If there be one given to drunkenness, others of the town, through his means, run the more into that sin with him, and do accustom themselves the more unto it, because of his enticing them, and also by setting such an ill example before them. And so, if there be any addicted to pride, and must needs be in all the newest fashions, how doth their example provoke others to love and follow the same vanity! spending that upon their lusts, which should relieve their own and others’ wants. Also, if there be any given to jesting, scoffing, lying, whoring, backbiting, junketing [making an entertainment by stealth, privately indulging in wickedness], wantonness, or any other sin; they that are most expert in these things, do ofttimes entangle others, that peradventure would not have been so vile as now they are, had they not had such an example; and hence they are called corrupters. Isaiah 1:4. Now these will by their doings exceedingly aggravate the condemnation of one another. He that did set his neighbour an ill example, and thereby caused him to walk in sin, he will be found one cause of his friend’s destruction, insomuch that he will have to answer for his own sin, and for a great part of his neighbour’s too, which will add to his destruction; as the scripture in Ezekiel showeth, where, speaking of the watchman that should give the people warning, if he do not, though the man did die in his sins, yet his blood shall be required at the watchman’s hand. So here let me tell thee that if thou shouldst be such an one, as by thy conversation and practices shall be a trap and a stumbling-block, to cause thy neighbour to fall into eternal ruin; though he be damned for his own sin, yet God may, nay he will, charge thee as being guilty of his blood, in that thou didst not content thyself to keep from heaven thyself, but didst also by thy filthy conversation keep away others, and cause them to fall with thee. O therefore, will not this aggravate thy torment? Yea, if thou shouldst die and go to hell before thy neighbours or companions, besides the guilt of thine own sins, thou wouldst be so loaden with the fear of the damnation 33 of others to be laid to thy charge, that thou wouldst cry out, ‘O send one from the dead to this companion, and that companion, with whom I had society in my lifetime, for I see my cursed carriage will be one cause of his condemnation, if he fall short of glory! I left him living in foul and heinous offenses; but I was one of the first instruments to bring him to them. Oh! I shall be guilty both of my own and his damnation too! O that he might be kept out hence, lest my torment be aggravated by his coming hither? For where ungodly people do dwell together, they being a snare and stumbling-block one to another by their practice, they must be a torment one to another and an aggravation of each other’s damnation. ‘O cursed be thy face, saith one, that ever I set mine eyes on thee; it was all of thee; I may thank thee; it was thee that did entice me, and ensnare me; it was your filthy conversation that was a stumbling-block to me; it was your covetousness, it was your pride, your haunting the alehouse, your gaming and whoring; it was all of you that I fell short of life! If you had set me a good example as you set me an ill one, it may be I might have done better than now I do; but I learned of you, I followed your steps, I took counsel of you. O that I had never seen your face! O that thou hadst never been born to do my soul this wrong, as you have done!’ ‘Oh! saith the other, and I may as much blame you; for do you not remember how at such a time, and at such a time, you drew me out and drew me away, and asked me if I would go with you, when I was going about other business, about my calling; but you called me away, you sent for me, you are as much in the fault as I. Though I were covetous, you were proud; and if you learned covetousness of me, I learned pride and drunkenness of you. Though I taught you to cheat, you taught me to whore, to lie, to scoff at goodness. Though I, base wretch, did stumble you in some things, you did as much stumble me in others. I can blame you, as you blame me; and if I have to answer for some of your most filthy actions, you have to answer for some of mine. I would you had not come hither; the very looks of you do wound my soul, by bringing my sins afresh into my mind, the time when, the manner how, the place where, the persons with whom. It was with you, you! Grief to my soul! Since I could not shun your company there, O that I had been without your company here!’ 34 I say therefore, for those that have sinned together, to go to hell together, it will very much perplex and torment them both; therefore, I judge this, one reason why they that are in hell do desire that their companions or friends do not come thither into the same place of torment that they are in. And, therefore, where Christ saith that the damned souls cry out, ‘Send to our companions, that they may be warned and commanded to look to themselves; O send to my five brethren!’ it is because they would not have their own torments heightened by their company; and a sense, yea, a continual sense of their sins, which they caused them to commit when they were in the world with them. For I do believe, that the very looks of those that have been beguiled of their fellows, I say, their very looks will be a torment to them; for thereby will the remembrance of their own sins which they committed with them, be kept (if possible) the fresher on their consciences; and also, they will wonderfully have the guilt of the other’s sins upon them, in that they were partly the cause of his committing them, being instruments in the hands of the devil, to draw them in too. And, therefore, lest this come to pass, “I pray thee, send him to my father’s house.” For if they might not come hither, peradventure my torment might have some mitigation; that is, if they might be saved, then their sins will be pardoned, and not so heavily charged on my soul. But if they do fall into the same place where I am, the sins that I have caused them to commit, will lie so heavy, not only on their soul, but also on mine, that they will sink me into eternal misery, deeper and deeper. “O, therefore, send him to my father’s house, to my five brethren; and let him testify to them, lest they come into this place of torment.” These words being thus understood, what a condition doth it show them to be in then, that now much delight in being the very ringleaders of their companions into sins of all sorts whatsoever. While men live here, if they can be counted the cunningest in cheating, the boldest for lying, the archest for whoring, the subtlest for coveting and getting the world; if they can but cunningly defraud, undermine, cross, and anger their neighbours, yea, and hinder them from the means of grace, the gospel of Christ; they glory in it, take a pride in it, and think themselves pretty well at ease, and their minds are somewhat quiet, being beguiled with sin. But, friend, when thou hast lost this life, and dost begin to lift up 35 thine eyes in hell, and seest what thy sins have brought thee to; and not only so, but that thou (devil-like) by thy filthy sins didst cause others to fall into the same condemnation with thee; and that one of the reasons of their damnation was this, that thou didst lead them to the commission of those wicked practices of this world, and the lusts thereof; then, ‘O that somebody would stop them from coming, lest they also come into this place of torment, and be damned as I am! How will it torment me!’ Balaam could not be contented to be damned himself, but also he must by his wickedness cause others to stumble and fall. The Scribes and Pharisees could not be content to keep out of heaven themselves, but they must labour to keep out others too. Therefore theirs is the greater damnation. The deceived cannot be content to be deceived himself; but he must labour to deceive others also. The drunkard cannot be content to go to hell for his sins, but he must labour to cause others to fall into the same furnace with him. But look to yourselves, for here will be damnation upon damnation; damned for thine own sins, and damned for thy being partaker with others in their sins, and damned for being guilty of the damnation of others. Oh! how will the drunkards cry, for leading their neighbours into drunkenness! How will the covetous person howl for setting his neighbour, his friend, his brother, his children and relations, so wicked an example, by which he hath not only wronged his own soul, but also the souls of others! The liar, by lying, learned others to lie; the swearer learned others to swear; the whoremonger learned others to whore. Now all these, with others of the like sort, will be guilty, not only of their own damnation, but of others. I tell you, that some men have been so much the authors of the damnation of others, that I am ready to think that the damnation of them, will trouble them as much as their own damnation. Some men, it is to be feared, at the day of judgment, will be found to be the authors of destroying whole nations. How many souls, do you think, Balaam with his deceit, will have to answer for? How many, Mahomet? How many, the Pharisees, that hired the soldiers to say the disciples stole away Jesus? (Matthew 28:11-15), and by that means stumbled their brethren to this day. This was one means of binding them from believing the things of God and Jesus Christ, and so the cause of the 36 damnation of their brethren to this very day. How many poor souls hath Bonner to answer for, think you? and other filthy, blind priests? How many souls have they been the means of destroying by their ignorance and corrupt doctrine; preaching what was no better for men’s souls, than ratsbane to the body, for filthy lucre’s sake? They shall see, many of them, it is to be feared, that they will have whole towns to answer for, whole cities to answer for! Ah, friend, I tell thee, thou that hast taken in hand to preach to the people, it may be thou hast taken in hand, thou canst not tell what. Will it not grieve thee, to see thy whole parish come bellowing after thee to hell, crying out, ‘This we may thank thee for; this is all of thee; thou didst not teach us the truth; thou didst lead us away with fables; thou wast afraid to tell us of our sins, lest we should not put meat fast enough into thy mouth. O cursed wretch, that ever thou shouldst beguile us thus, deceive us thus, flatter us thus! We would have gone out to hear the word abroad, but that thou didst reprove us, and also tell us that which we see now is the way of God was heresy, and a deceivable doctrine; and was not contented (blind guide as thou were) to fall into the ditch thyself, but hast also led us thither with thee.’ I say, look to thyself, lest thou cry out when it is too late, Send Lazarus to my people, my friends, my children, my congregation to whom I preached, and beguiled through my folly. Send him to the town in which I did preach last, lest I be the cause of their damnation. Send him to my friends from whence I came, lest I be made to answer for’ their souls and mine own too. Ezekiel 33:1-8. O send him, therefore, and let him tell them, and testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Use and application First, I shall begin with the sad condition of those that die out of Christ, and speak something to that. You see, therefore, that the whole of this first part of the parable contains a sad declaration of the state of one living and dying out of Christ. (1). How that they lose heaven for hell, God for the devil, light for darkness, joy for sorrow. (2). How that they have not so much as the least comfort from God, who, in the time they live here below, neglect coming to him for mercy; not so much as one drop of cold 37 water. (3). That such fools will repent of their folly, when repentance will do them no good, or when they shall be past recovery. (4). That all the comfort, such souls are likely to have, they have now in this world. (5). That all their groanings and sighs will not move God to mitigate, in the least, his heavy hand of vengeance that is upon them, for the transgressions they have committed against him. (6). That their sad state is irrecoverable, or they must never, mark, never come out of that condition. (7). Their desires will not be heard for their ungodly neighbours. From these things then, I pray you, first consider the state of those who die out of Christ Jesus; yea, I say, consider their miserable state; and think thus with thyself, ‘Well, if I neglect coming to Christ, I must go to the devil, and he will not neglect to fetch me away into those intolerable torments.’ 1. Think thus with thyself: ‘What! shall I lose a long heaven for short pleasure? Shall I buy the pleasure of this world at so dear a rate, as to lose my soul for the obtaining of that? Shall I content myself with a heaven that will last no longer than my lifetime? What advantage will this be to me, when the Lord shall separate soul and body asunder, and send one to the grave, the other to hell; and at the judgment day, the final sentence of eternal ruin must be passed upon me? 2. Consider, that the profits, pleasures, and vanities of this world will not last forever; but the time is coming, yea, is just at the door, when they will give thee the slip, and leave thee in the suds [embarrassment], and in the brambles of all that thou hast done. And therefore, to prevent this thy dismal state, think thus with thyself: ‘It is true, I love my sins, my lusts, and pleasures; but what good will they do me at the day of death and of judgment? Will my sins do me good then? Will they be able to help me when I come to fetch my last breath? What good will my profits do me? And what good will my vanities do, when death says he will have no nay? What good will all my companions, fellow-jesters, jeerers, liars, drunkards, and all my wantons do me? Will they help to ease the pains of hell? Will these help to turn the hand of God from inflicting his fierce anger upon me? Nay, will they not rather cause God to show me no mercy, to give me no comfort, but rather to thrust me down in the hottest place of hell, where I may swim in fire and 38 brimstone?’ 3. Consider thus with thyself: ‘Would I be glad to have all, every one of my sins, to come in against me, to inflame the justice of God against me? Would I be glad to be bound up in them, as the three children were bound in their clothes, and to be as really thrown into the fiery furnace of the wrath of almighty God, as they were into Nebuchadnezzar’s fiery furnace?’ 4. Consider thus: ‘Would I be glad to have all and every one of the ten commandments to discharge themselves against my soul? The first saying, Damn him, for he hath broken me; the second saying, Damn him, for he hath broken me, and so on to the end. Consider how terrible this will be, yea more terrible than if thou shouldst have ten of the biggest pieces of ordnance in England to be discharged against thy body — thunder, thunder, one after another. Nay, this would not be comparable to the reports that the law (for the breach thereof) will give against thy soul: for those can but kill the body, but these will kill both body and soul; and that not for an hour, a day, a month, or a year; but they will condemn thee forever. Mark, it is forever, forever. It is into everlasting damnation, eternal destruction, eternal wrath and displeasure from God, eternal gnawings of conscience, eternal continuance with devils. O consider. It may be, the thought of seeing the devil doth now make thine hair to stand right up on thine head. O but this, to be damned, to be among all the devils, and that not only for a time, as I said before, but forever, to all eternity! This is to be so wonderfully miserable, ever miserable, that no tongue of man, no, nor of angels, is able to express it. 5. Consider much with thyself: ‘Not only my sins against the law will be laid to my charge, but also the sins I have committed in slighting the gospel, the glorious gospel: these also must come with a voice against me. As thus Nay, he is worthy to be damned, for he rejected the gospel, he slighted the free grace of God tendered in the gospel. How many times wast thou (lost wretch) invited, entreated, beseeched, to come to Christ, to accept of mercy, that thou mightst have heaven, thy sins pardoned, thy soul saved, thy body and soul glorified; and all this for nothing but the acceptance; and through faith forsaking those imps of Satan, which by their embracements have drawn thee down toward the gulf of God’s eternal displeasure? 39 How often didst thou read the promises, yea the free promises of the common salvation? How oft didst thou read the sweet counsels and admonitions of the gospel, to accept of the grace of God? But thou wouldst not, thou regardedst it now, thou didst slight all. Second, As I would have thee to consider the sad and woeful state of those that die out of Christ, and are past all recovery, so would I have thee consider the many mercies and privileges thou enjoyest above some (peradventure) of thy companions that are departed to their proper place, As, 1. Consider thou hast still the thread of thy life lengthened, which for thy sins might seven years ago, or more, have been cut asunder, and thou have dropped down among the flames. 2. Consider the terms of reconciliation by faith in Christ are still proffered unto thee, and thou invited, yea entreated to accept of them. 3. Consider the terms of reconciliation are but — bear with me though I say, but — only to believe in Jesus Christ, with faith that purifies the heart, and enables thy soul to feed on him effectually, and be saved from this sad state. 4. Consider the time of thy departure is at hand, and the time is uncertain, and also that for aught thou knowest, the day of grace may be past to thee before thou diest, not lasting so long as thy uncertain life in this world. And if so, then know for certain, that thou art as sure to be damned, as if thou wast in hell already, if thou convert not in the meanwhile. 5. Consider it may be some of thy friends are giving all diligence to make their calling and election sure, being resolved for heaven, and thou thyself endeavourest as fast to make sure of hell, as if resolved to have it; and together with this, consider how it will grieve thee, that while thou wast making sure of hell, thy friends were making sure of heaven. But more of this by and by. 6. Consider what a sad reflection this will have on thy soul, to see thy friends in heaven, and thyself in hell; thy father in heaven, and thou in hell; thy mother in heaven, and thou in hell; thy brother, thy sister, thy children, in heaven, and thou in hell. As Christ said to the Jews of their relations according to the flesh, so may I say to thee concerning thy friends, There shall be weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth, when you shall see your fathers and mothers, 40 brethren and sisters, husbands and wives, children and kinsfolk, with your friends and neighbours, in the kingdom of heaven, and thou thyself thrust out. Luke 13:28-29. But again, thirdly, because I would not only tell thee of the damnable, state of those that die out of Christ, but also persuade thee to take hold of life, and go to heaven, take notice of these following things. 1. Consider, that whatever thou canst do, as to thy acceptance with God, is not worth the dirt of thy shoes, but is all as menstruous rags. Isaiah 64:6. 2. Consider, that all the conditions of the new covenant (as to salvation) are and have been completely fulfilled by the Lord Jesus Christ, and that for sinners. Hebrews 8:6. 3. Consider, that the Lord calls to thee to receive whatsoever Christ hath done, and that on free cost. Revelation 22:17. 4. Consider that thou canst not honor God more, than to close in with his proffers, of grace, mercy; and pardon of sin. Roman 4. Again, that which will add to all the rest, thou shalt have the very mercy of God, the blood of Christ, the preachers of the word, together with every sermon, all the promises, invitations, exhortations, and all the counsels and threatenings of the blessed word of God; thou shalt have all thy thoughts, words, and actions, together with all thy food, thy raiment, thy sleep, thy goods, and also all hours, days, weeks, months, and years, together with whatsoever else God hath given thee; I say, thy abuse of all these shall come up in judgment against thy soul; for God will reckon with thee for everything, whether it be good or bad. Ecclesiastes 12:14. 5. Nay, further, it is so unreasonable a thing for a sinner to refuse the gospel, that the very devils themselves will come in against thee, as well as Sodom, that damned crew. May not they, I say, come in against thee, and say, ‘O thou simple man! O vile wretch! that had not so much care of thy soul, thy precious soul, as the beast hath of its young, or the dog of the very bone that lieth before him? Was thy soul worth so much, and didst thou so little regard it? Were the thunder-claps of the law so terrible, and didst thou so slight them? Besides, was the gospel so freely, so frequently, so fully tendered to thee, and yet hast thou rejected all these things? Hast thou valued 41 sin at a higher rate than thy soul, than God, Christ, angels, saints, and communion with them in eternal blessedness and glory? Wast thou not told of hellfire, those intolerable flames? Didst thou never hear of those intolerable roarings of the damned ones that are therein? Didst thou never hear or read that doleful saying in the sixteenth of Luke, how the sinful man cries out among the flames, One drop of water to cool my tongue?’ Thus, I say, may the very devils, being ready to go with thee into the burning furnace of fire and brimstone, though not for sins of so high a nature as thine, trembling say, ‘O that Christ had died for devils, as he died for man! And, O that the gospel had been preached to us, as it hath been to thee! How would we have laboured to have closed in with it! But woe be to us, for we might never have it proffered; no, not in the least, though we would have been glad of it. But you, you have had it proffered, preached, and proclaimed unto you. Proverbs 8:4. Besides, you have been entreated and beseeched to accept it, but you would not. O simple fools! that might have escaped wrath, vengeance, hell-fire, and that to all eternity, and had no heart to do it. 6. May not the messengers of Jesus Christ also come in with a shrill and terrible note against thy soul, when thou standest at the bar of God’s justice, saying, ‘Nay, thou ungodly one, how often hast thou been forewarned of this day? Did not we sound an alarm in thine ears, by the trumpet of God’s word, day after day? How often didst thou hear us tell thee of these things? Did we not tell thee, sin would damn thy soul? Did we not tell thee, that without conversion there was no salvation? Did we not tell thee, that they who loved their sins, should be damned at this dark and gloomy day, (as thou art like to be)? Yea, did we not tell thee, that God, out of his love to sinners, sent Christ to die for them, that they might, by coming to him be saved? Did we not tell thee of these things? Did we not run, ride, labour, and strive abundantly (if it might have been) for thy soul, (though now a damned soul)? Did we not venture our goods, our names, our lives? Yea, did we not even kill ourselves with our earnest entreaties of thee to consider thy state, and by Christ, to escape this dreadful day?’ O sad doom! when thou shalt be forced, full sore against thy will, to fall under the truth of this judgment, saying, “O how have I hated instruction, and how hath my heart 42 despised reproof! (for indeed) I have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me” (Proverbs 5:12, 13). 7. May not thy father, thy mother, thy brother, thy sister, thy friend, etc, appear with gladness against thee at the terrible day; saying, ‘O thou silly wretch, how rightly hath God met with thee! O how righteously doth his sentence pass upon thee! Remember thou wouldst not be ruled, nor persuaded in thy lifetime. As thou didst not care for us and our admonitions then; so neither do we care for thy ruin, terror, and damnation now. No, but we will stand on God’s side, in sentencing thee to that portion which the devils must be partakers of.’ “The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance; he shall wash his foot in the blood of the wicked” (Psalm 58:10). O sad! It is enough to make mountains tremble, and rocks rend in pieces, to hear this doleful sound. Consider these things; and if thou wouldst be loath to be in this condition, then have a care of living in sin now. How loath wilt thou be to be thrust away from the gates of heaven! And how loath wilt thou be to be deprived of the mercy of God! How unwillingly wilt thou set foot forward towards the lake of fire! Never did malefactor so unwillingly turn off the ladder, when the halter was about his neck, as thou wilt turn from God to the devil, from heaven to hell, when the sentence is passed upon thy soul. O how wilt thou sigh and groan! how willingly wouldst thou hide thyself, and run away from justice! But alas! as it is with them that are on the ladder ready to be executed, so it will be with thee. They would fain run away; but there are many halbert-men [with halberts or javelins] to stay them; and so the angels of God will beset thee round, I say, round on every side; so that thou mayst indeed look, but run thou canst not. Thou mayst wish thyself under some rock or mountain (Revelation 6:15, 16); but how to get under, thou knowest not. O how unwilling wilt thou be to let thy father go to heaven without thee! to let thy mother, or friends go to heaven without thee! How willingly wouldst thou hang on them, and not let them go! ‘O father! cannot you help me? Mother, cannot you do me some good? O how loath am I to burn and fry in hell, while you are singing in heaven!’ But alas! the father, mother, or friends, reject 43 them, slight them, and turn their backs upon them, saying, ‘You would have none of heaven in your lifetime, therefore you shall have none of it now; you slighted our counsels then, and we slight your tears, cries, and condition now.’ What sayest thou, sinner? Will not this persuade thine heart, or make thee bethink thyself? that is, now, before thou fall into that dreadful place, the fiery furnace. But O consider how dreadful the place itself, the devils themselves, the fire itself, will be! And this at the end of all, Here thou must lie forever! here thou must fry forever and forever! This will be more to thee than any man with tongue can express, or with pen can write. There is none, I say, that can, by the ten thousandth part, discover the miserable state and condition of such a soul. I shall conclude this, then, with a few considerations of encouragement. Consider (for I would fain have thee come in, sinner) that there is a way, made by Jesus Christ, for them that are under the curse of God, to come to this comfortable and blessed state of Lazarus I was speaking of. Ephesians 2. Consider what pains Christ Jesus took for the ransoming of thy soul from all the curses, thunder-claps, and tempests of the law; from all the intolerable flames of hell; from that soul-sinking appearance of thy person (on the left hand) before the judgment- seat of Christ Jesus; from everlasting fellowship with innumerable companies of yelling, and soul-amazing devils. I say, consider what pains the Lord Jesus Christ took in bringing in redemption for sinners, from these things, in that though he was rich; yet he became poor, that thou, through his poverty, might be made rich. 2 Corinthians 8:9. He laid aside his glory, and became a servant. John 17; Philippians 2. He left the company of angels, and encountered with the devil. Luke 4; Matthew 4. He left heaven’s ease for a time, to lie upon hard mountains. John 8. In a word, he became poorer than those that go with flail and rake; yea, than the very birds or foxes; and all to do thee good. Besides, consider a little those unspeakable and intolerable slightings and rejections, and the manifold abuses that came from men upon him: how he was falsely accused, being a sweet, harmless, and undefiled lamb; how he was undervalued, so that a murderer was counted less 44 worthy of condemnation than he. Besides, how they mocked him, spit on him, beat him over the head with staves, and pluck the hair from his cheeks. “I gave my back to the smiters,” saith he, “and my cheeks to them that plucked of the hair; I hid not my face from shame and spitting.” Think of his head crowned with thorns, his hands pierced with nails, and his side with a spear! together with how they scourged him, and so miserably misused him, that they had even spent him in a great measure before they did crucify him; insomuch that there was another fain to carry his cross. Again, not only this, but lay to heart a little what he received from God his dear Father, though he was his dear and tender Son. First, in that he did deal with him as the greatest sinner and rebel in the world; for he laid the sins of thousands, and ten thousands, and thousands of thousands of sinners to his charge (Isaiah 53), and caused him to drink the terrible cup that was due to them all; and not only so, but did delight in so doing; for “it pleased the Lord to bruise him.” God dealt indeed with his Son, as Abraham would have dealt with Isaac; ay, and more terrible by ten thousand parts; for he did not only tear his body like a lion, but made his soul an offering for sin. And this was not done feignedly, but really; for justice called for it, he standing in the room of sinners. Witness that horrible and unspeakable agony that fell on him suddenly in the garden, as if all the vials of God’s unspeakable scalding vengeance had been cast upon him all at once, and all the devils in hell had broken loose from thence at once to destroy him, and that forever; insomuch that the very pangs of death seized upon him in the same hour. For, saith he, My soul is amazed and exceeding sorrowful, even unto death, Mark 14:33, 34. Second, witness also that strange kind of sweat that trickled down his most blessed face, where it is said, he sweat, as it were great drops, or dodders, of blood, trickling down to the ground. O Lord Jesus! what a load didst thou carry! what a burden didst thou bear of the sins of the world, and the wrath of God! O thou didst not only bleed at nose and mouth, with the pressure that lay upon thee, but thou wast so pressed, so loaden, that the pure blood gushed through the flesh and skin, and so ran trickling down to the ground! “And his sweat was as it were great drops of blood,” trickling or “falling clown to the ground.” Luke 22:44. Canst thou read this, O thou 45 wicked sinner, and yet go on in sin? Canst thou think of this, and defer repentance one hour longer? O heart of flint, yea, harder! O miserable wretch! what place in hell will be hot enough for thee, to have thy soul put into, if thou shalt persist, or go on still, to add iniquity to iniquity? Third, besides, his soul went down to hell (Psalm 16:10; Acts 2:31), and his body to the bars of the grave: and had hell, death, or the grave, been strong enough to hold him, then he had suffered the vengeance of eternal fire to all eternity. But, O Blessed Jesus! how didst thou discover thy love to man in thy thus suffering! And, O God the Father! how didst thou also declare the purity and exactness of thy justice, in that, though it was thine only, holy, innocent, harmless, and undefiled Son Jesus, that did take on him our nature, and represent our persons, answering for our sins, instead of ourselves, thou didst so wonderfully pour out thy wrath upon him, to the making of him cry out, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” And, O Lord Jesus! what a glorious conquest hast thou made over the enemies of our souls, even wrath, sin, death, hell, and devils, in that thou didst wring thyself from under the power of them all! and not only so, but hast led them captive which would have led us captive; and also hast received for us that glorious and unspeakable inheritance, that “eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man” to conceive: and also hast given us some discovery thereof through thy Spirit. And now, sinner, together with this, consider, Fourth, that though Jesus Christ hath done all these things for sinners, yet the devils make it their whole work, and continual study, how they may keep thee and others from enjoying these blessed privileges that have been thus obtained for sinners by this sweet Jesus. Satan labours, I say, (1). To keep thee ignorant of thy state by nature. (2). To harden thy heart against the ways of God. (3). To inflame thy heart with love to sin and the ways of darkness. And, (4). To get thee to continue therein. For that is the way, he knows, to get thee to be a partaker with him of flaming hellfire, even the same which he himself is fallen into, together with the rest of the wicked world by reason of sin. Look to it therefore. But now, in the next place, a word of encouragement to you that are the saints of the Lord. 46 1. Consider, what a happy state thou art in, that hast gotten the faith of the Lord Jesus unto thy soul. But be sure thou have it, I say, how safe, how sure, how happy art thou! For when others go to hell, thou must go to heaven; when others go to the devil, thou must go to God; when others go to prison, thou must be set at liberty, at ease, and at freedom; when others must roar for sorrow of heart, then thou shalt also sing for the joy of heart. 2. Consider, thou must have all thy well spent life to follow thee, instead of all thy sins; and the glorious blessings of the gospel, instead of the dreadful curses and condemnations of the law; the blessing of the Father, instead of a fiery sentence from the Judge. 3. Let dissolution come when it will, it can do thee no harm; for it will be but only a passage out of a prison into a palace; out of a sea of troubles, into an haven of rest; out of a crowd of enemies, to an innumerable company of true, loving, and faithful friends; out of shame, reproach, and contempt, into exceeding great and eternal glory. For death shall not hurt thee with his sting, nor bite thee with his soul-murdering teeth, but shall be a welcome guest to thee, even to thy soul, in that it is sent to free thee from thy troubles which thou art in, whilst here in this world, dwelling in the tabernacle of clay. 4. Consider, however it goes with friends and relations, yet it will go well with thee. Ecclesiastes 8:12. However it goes with the wicked, yet I know, mark, yet “I know (saith he) that it shall go well with them that fear the Lord, that fear before him.” And therefore, let this, (1). In the first place, cause thee cheerfully to exercise thy patience under all the calamities, crosses, troubles, and afflictions that may come upon thee; and by patient continuance in well-doing, to commit both thyself, and thine affairs, and actions, into the hands of God, through Jesus Christ, as to a faithful Creator, who is true to his word, and loveth to give unto thee whatsoever he hath promised to thee. (2). And therefore, to encourage thee, while thou art here, with comfort to hold on, for all thy crosses in this thy journey; be much in considering the place that thou must go into, so soon as dissolution comes. It must be into heaven, to God the judge of all, to an innumerable company of angels, to the spirits of just men made 47 perfect, to the general assembly and church of the first-born, whose names are written in heaven, and to Jesus (to the Redeemer) who is the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaks better things for thee than Abel’s did for Cain. Hebrews 12:22-24. (3). Consider, that when the time of the dead that they shall be raised, is come, then shall thy body be raised out of the grave and be glorified, and be made like to Jesus Christ. Philippians 3:21. O excellent condition! (4). When Jesus Christ shall sit on the throne of his glory, you shall also sit with him, even when he shall sit on the throne of his glory. O will not this be glorious, that when thousands, and thousands of thousands, shall be arraigned before the judgment-seat of Christ, then for them to sit with him upon the throne, together with him to pass the sentence upon the ungodly? 1 Corinthians 6:2, 3. Will it not be glorious to enjoy those things that eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath entered into the heart of man to conceive? Will it not be glorious to have this sentence, “Come ye, blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you before the foundation of the world?” Will it not be glorious to enter then, with the angels and saints, into that glorious kingdom? Will it not be glorious for thee to be in glory with them, while others are in unutterable torments? O then! how will it comfort thee to see thou hast not lost that glory; to think that the devil hath not got thy soul, that thy soul should be saved, and that not from a little, but a great, exceeding danger; not with a little, but a great salvation. O! therefore, let the saints be joyful in glory; let them triumph over all their enemies. Let them begin to sing heaven upon earth, triumph before they come to glory, even when they are in the midst of their enemies: for this honour shall all his saints have. Psalm 149:5-9.

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